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Kimbell Art Museum

Kimbell Art Museum

Louis Kahn & Renzo Piano

Photo: Carol M. Highsmith · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons

Location
Cultural District, Fort Worth, Texas, United States
Client / Owner
Kimbell Art Foundation
Year
Completed 1972
Access
Tickets required
Typology
Cultural

The Kimbell Art Museum in Fort Worth was designed by Louis I. Kahn for the Kimbell Art Foundation, funded by Kay and Velma Kimbell. Kahn was commissioned in October 1966, and Preston M. Geren's firm was associate architect. Construction began in the summer of 1969, and the museum opened in October 1972.

Sixteen concrete vaults, each 100 feet (30 m) long, 20 feet (6 m) wide and 20 feet high, are post-tensioned shells just five inches (13 cm) thick, supported only at four corners. Skylight slots with perforated anodized aluminum reflectors diffuse daylight across the gallery ceilings. Travertine, steel and lead roof sheathing complete the materials.

Renzo Piano's pavilion, 85,000 square feet (7,900 m²), opened in November 2013 on the west lawn, though 2006 plans put it behind Kahn's building. The museum holds about 350 works, mainly European Old Masters, and parking is free. The article gives no admission details.

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